Any narrative of the contemporary American residential market that neglects the continued proliferation of sprawl fails to describe the complex preferences of the public.
Environmentalists and urbanists concerned with the environmental, social, and economic impacts of sprawling have lots of reasons to be comforted by recent trends toward the city and away from post-war suburban models. According to an article by Kaid Benfield, however, the housing market is far more complex than a one-way shift toward urban living. His conclusion: "let's not pronounce sprawl dead just yet."
As for the larger implications of that conclusion, Benfield adds: "Mostly, I am struck by what seems to be a growing divide, as seems to be the case with so much of American life. Home sizes are increasing, but so are sales of micro apartments. Sprawl continues, but so does revitalization. Environmentalists should take all especially rosy – as well as all especially dire – predictions with appropriate caution."
Read the full story: Let's Not Pronounce Sprawl Dead Just Yet
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Urban density has a bad reputation.
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Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
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City of Thousand Oaks
City of Wisconsin Rapids
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
Northern Illinois Transit Authority (NITA)
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello